1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to jack stands of the type used for supporting vehicles while the vehicle is being worked on, and more specifically, to a collapsible jack stand which is highly portable and which can be disassembled after use for easy storage.
2. Background of the Invention
Jack stands are commonly used for supporting a raised load. Many individuals use jack stands for supporting a raised motor vehicle so that the individual may perform maintenance work on the vehicle.
Currently, there are numerous types of jack stands on the market. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,202 discloses a jack stand with a safety locking device. The jack stand is comprised of a first tubular member having three equally spaced apart slits at the bottom of a base to form a triangular base or footprint. A second tubular member is slid in to the first tubular member and has a support pad welded to the top of the second tubular member for supporting the vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,361 discloses another jack stand which is comprised of a cylindrical body which is supported by a tetrahedral structure.
While current jack stands do work in supporting a raised load, there are several problems with current designs. Most jack stands are comprised of a body having a plurality of legs extending from the body for supporting the jack stand. The body of the jack stand is rather bulky and tends to take-up a lot of space. As such, current jack stands are not very portable in that the jack stand tends to take up a lot of space in the trunk of a vehicle and will not fit behind a seat of a truck. Furthermore, when the jack stand is placed on the ground and a load is placed on the jack stand, the legs on the body of the jack stand have a tendency to sink into the ground. When a mechanic goes out on the road to repair a tire on a semi-trailer or another type of motor vehicle, the mechanic has to find a piece of wood or some other type of material to place under the jack stand so that the jack stand will not sink into the asphalt road or the dirt ground.
Therefore, a need existed to provide an improved jack stand and method therefor. The improved jack stand and method therefor must be highly portable and easy to store in a motor vehicle. The improved jack stand and method therefor must also be collapsible so that it can be easily disassembled when not in use and easily reassembled when needed. The improved jack stand and method therefor must also be designed so that the jack stand will not sink into the ground when the jack stand is in use and supporting a heavy load.